Bread Dough Ornaments
When you can’t think of a thing to do to entertain the kids on a rainy day or are just looking for an inexpensive and artsy kind of craft activity, here’s one that’s good year around. Although bread dough ornaments are usually only thought of at Christmas time, you can have fun making these decorations for your home any time you please.
First, here’s the basic recipe. For every six cups of flour, use one cup of salt. Be sure not to include anything else but water! Form your bread dough ornaments before baking. Bake at 325 for about 45 minutes. You’ve got non-perishable decorative objects.
Bread dough ornaments can be tiny or life-sized – up to a point! After a certain size, the material becomes too unwieldy to be practical. However, you can make a loaf of perpetual bread, which makes a nice centerpiece and conversation piece for the dining room table. You can form the dough just as you would a real loaf. Try a braided loaf, which after baking, you can coat with a clear glossy acrylic and tie with a pretty red ribbon. You can even place it in a bread basket, which is good for a laugh when someone picks it up to take a bite!
Do you love kitties but are allergic to their fur? You can make a lifelike kitty to sprawl by the fireplace. Such bread dough ornaments can be painted in a whimsical faux cat design with acrylics and coated with a clear acrylic finish. Kids love these kitties too!
Bread dough ornaments are heavy enough to serve admirably as an attractive and attention-getting doorstop, shaped in any manner that pleases you.
If you’re the artistic type, you can make bowls and vases in much the same way you would mold clay. If you apply varathane over the entire container, you can even safely put water and real flowers in these bread dough creations. Thinking along the same lines, you can make jewelry boxes, soap dishes or toothbrush holders. These are excellent projects for kids. The project keeps them occupied for hours and they are so proud of the results.
Tiny bread dough ornaments can serve as tree ornaments for lots of occasions. Make an Easter egg tree. Birthday trees hung with little bread dough cakes and ice cream cones are big hits with the kids. Hearts and tiny flowers can decorate the Valentine’s Day tree. Just be sure to poke a tiny hole to string the hanger through before baking and reduce your baking time according to their small size.
The only real limitation with bread dough ornaments is size. Life sized representations of the Thanksgiving turkey won’t work. Otherwise, go for it!
Tags: christmas gifts, christmas presents, gifts for holidays